Knowing Love
by Aerilon452
Summary: Belle get's a little bored in Gold's shop. One shot... COMPLETE


Summary: Belle gets a little bored in Gold's shop.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Once Upon A Time.

Rating: K

Pairing: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle

**KNOWING LOVE:**

Belle teetered on the edge of one of the glass display cases while she watched Rumpelstiltskin as he jotted down notes in hard cover book. She had been here for a few hours and already she was bored. Gently she swung her legs back and forth looking at all odds and ends dotted about the shop. Most of them she new belonged to him; payment for his help. Rumpelstiltskin still possessed the creepy looking dolls she had seen every day as she lived in the Dark Castle. "It's boring in here." She said smirking at him. Moments ago he had had such a serious expression on his face as he concentrated on what he was writing in the ledger. Belle had been so fascinated by him, then and now.

Rumpelstiltskin stopped what he was doing to gaze at her. She was balanced right on the edge of the display case. Belle looked alluring in her black tank top, dark blue jeans, and the black boots she had on. It amazed him how she was able to stay perfectly balanced. Teasingly, he crooked his finger at her. "You think this is boring?" He asked coming over to stand in front of her. Belle took that moment to slide off the edge of the case, right in against him. She draped her arms over his shoulders with him slipping his arms around her waist. "What would you rather do?" Rumpelstiltskin asked in earnest.

"I would want to be outside in the sun." Belle answered. When they had come back from the well, he had had his left arm draped across her shoulders holding her so close to him that she wanted the moment to last even as they walked together. He seemed so wrapped up in her that he had ignored the people who were staring at them. "But..." Belle averted her gaze, "I don't know anyone here."

Gold tilted his head slightly to the right smiling at her. He slid his hands up her back bringing her even closer to him. "I was going to save this as a surprise tonight, but..." He sighed, "I was planning on taking you out to dinner tonight." Today he had kept Belle close to him while, a few people who still owed him some favors readied a private dining room for him and Belle. He wanted everything to be perfect for her.

"To dinner?" Belle smiled broadly. "You were going to take me to dinner?" She angled her head, intent to kiss him, but he leaned his head back in the last second. Dropping her arms, Belle let her smile fade. "Are you afraid to let me kiss you?" She couldn't blame him if he was. After what happened the last time, Belle wasn't sure how things would go if they kissed in this world.

Rumpelstiltskin quickly cupped her face and took her lips in a passionate kiss designed to make her dizzy. He wasn't afraid of what kissing her would mean. He was afraid that if he kissed her, he wouldn't be able to stop. For years he had had the phantom sensation of her lips touching his in dreams that had tormented him. Now, with her in his arms, he could kiss her as much as he wanted. The taste of her drew him in deeper; he would never grow weary of feeling her lips on his. Gold drew back breathing in deeply, "See, I'm not afraid." A smirk appeared.

Belle smiled again, "I just don't want what happened to happen again." She could still see his madness take over that night. Belle had never seen that side of him and it had terrified her so much that she had wished, if only for a moment, that she hadn't kissed him.

"Belle, I love you and I didn't think that could happen for me." Rumpelstiltskin explained. "I thought true love was beyond me and then you came along to change my life."

"What happened to you after I..." She looked away feeling sadness creep in to dispel the happiness she had been feeling. First he had been talking about taking her to dinner and then she had turned them down a road of conversation that brought up memories neither of them were ready to speak about.

"The Queen came to me, gloating, to tell me that you were dead." He closed his eyes against the sudden tears that misted his eyes. "My heart shattered and madness took over." Rumpelstiltskin confessed. "For months I bounced back and forth between depression and insanity." He could remember long nights in his enchanted cell where he would scream and rage and curse the queen. Then his small act of vengeance had come when she needed the curse to work. Rumpelstiltskin thought it the perfect next move. She had taken what he loved the most; Belle. It would be his turn. To make the curse work, the Queen had to sacrifice the heart of the one she loved the most; her father. It satisfied him to a small degree.

Belle kissed his closed eyes, "I'm sorry," She whispered feeling tears fill her eyes as well. There were layers upon layers to the man she loved. Rumpelstiltskin continued to surprise her at every turn.

"No," Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Without you, I never would have known I could love again." Gently he kissed her forehead. Her arms slipped over his shoulders once again hugging him closely. His entire form shuddered at having Belle so near him again. This time he wasn't going to lose her or risk having her taken away from him again.

"Did I ruin the tone of the day?" Belle asked biting her bottom lip. She hadn't meant to start this conversation with him, but it had turned out alright. There had been only love in his eyes, and a small amount of sadness too.

"Never dearie," Rumpelstiltskin answered kissing her quickly. "Now, before dinner, I have to finish out my boring day." He teased and Belle giggled stepping away from her. Gold reluctantly went back to making notes in the ledger. Every once in a while he would glance over at her and again she was balancing on the edge of the glass display case. Rumpelstiltskin shook his head smirking even more.


End file.
